A VERY SAD MOTHER'S DAY FOR SOME....

Coluber constrictor is a species of non-venomous, colubrid snakes commonly referred to as the eastern racers. They are primarily found throughout the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains, but they range north into Canada, and south into Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. There are currently 10 recognized subspecies.

Description
Racers typically grow to around 3½ feet (107 cm) long, but some subspecies are capable of attaining lengths of 6 feet (1.8 m). Their patterns vary widely between subspecies. Most are solid colored as their common names imply, black, brown, blue or green. All subspecies have a lighter colored underbelly: white, a light tan or yellow in color. Juveniles are often more strikingly patterned, with green skin, orange tail, a red stripe going around every 1.3 inches, and a yellow nose.

Behavior
Racers are fast moving, highly active, diurnal snakes. Their diet consists primarily of rodents, frogs, and lizards, and some subspecies are known to climb trees in order to eat eggs and young birds. Juveniles often consume soft-bodied insects, such as crickets and moths. Despite their scientific name of constrictor, they do not really employ constriction, instead simply subduing struggling prey by pinning it bodily, pressing one or two coils against it to hold it in place instead of actually suffocating it. Most smaller prey items are simply swallowed alive.
Racers typically prefer to make use of their speed to flee when confronted by a potential predator, and if handled they generally do not hesitate to bite, and sometimes release a foul smelling musk from their cloaca. They are curious snakes with excellent vision, and are sometimes seen raising their head above the height of the grass they are crawling in to view what is around them.

Habitat
Most racers prefer open, grassland type habitat where their keen eyesight and speed can be readily used, but they are also found in light forest and even semi-arid regions. They are usually not far from an area of cover to hide in.

Reproduction
Mating takes place in the spring, from April until early June. Around a month later the female will lay anywhere from 3 to 30 eggs in a hidden nest site such as a hollow log, an abandoned rodent burrow, or under a rock. The 8-10" long juvenile racers hatch in the early fall. Maturity is reached in approximately 2 years. Racers have been known to lay their eggs in communal sites, where a number of snakes, even those from other species, all lay their eggs together.



Why the lesson? Here is why....


Every year our front porch is a central location for a family of birds to make nest in the light fixture. I mind that but never seem to do anything about it. It has been happening for years. Last week I noticed again the mommy bird busy making a nest for her babies.


Today I was enjoying my mother's day on the couch catching up on a week's worth of Days of Our Lives. Through out the day I could here what I thought were the baby birds chirping. And I thought to myself, "Sounds like the eggs have hatched, I can't wait to show the kids." When Brett got home from the store we sat down to eat and I told him that I had heard the baby birds. I pulled the blinds back and said come look Alyssa at the babies. As my eyes caught the nest, I screamed. "Oh my God, there is a snake in the nest!" Brett really didn't believe me but as my scream got a little out of control he got up from his seat. He actually thought that it was a baby snake that the momma had gotten for the babies to eat so he was alittle slow moving.


Dear GOD!!!! I realized that the snake was eating the babies. What I had been hearing all afternoon was the momma bird trying to get to her babies. She kept flying up trying to peck the *&^*&^ out of that devil. Here it is......

Can you see it?? It wasn't a baby snake. Brett quickly turned into the "Snake Hunter" and ran outside with ....A Broom. What the heck is he going to do with a broom? Of course I'm yelling, "Don't go Outside! We need to call someone." He goes anyway with the kids and I standing at the door looking through the glass. Brett comes back in talking about needing to get something to spray him with. I thought he had lost his mind.

Times like this I have never been so thankful that every neighbor within 2 miles is related to us somehow. First I call Ealy, Brett's dad, no answer probably golfing. I know..... Uncle Stan. He probably eat these things. I made the call even though Brett said that he wanted to take care of this himself. "Yeah right!!! Uncle Stan to the rescue...........

First he pokes at him to see just how aggressive he really is

Then all of a sudden WHAM!!!!

The to protect the innocent the rest of the blog has been removed.